The present invention pertains to a distraction device used to widen an upper jaw (maxillae) after cortical osteotomy and fixation of an adjustable bridging onto the bone of the palate with the goal to increase the distance between the two mutually opposite halves of the jaw by means of gradual expansion.
In addition, the present invention relates to an improved orthopaedic system wherein the device is used intra-orally in a patient to achieve a change in transverse position of two upper jaw halves or segments in relation to each other.
The device is used in maxillofacial surgery, in particular in orthognathic surgery in patients with too narrow maxillae or upper jaw. It concerns a developmental disturbance, sometimes congenital as in cleft lip and palate, which can lead to a cross-bite, tooth crowding, hindered nasal breathing, a disturbed occlusion with the lower dental arch, and a psychosocial aesthetic problem. The aim of the invention is to restore the dental occlusion, to improve nasal breathing and to bring the face into normal proportions.